


Prince of Stories

by deskclutter



Category: The Sandman
Genre: Community: 31_days, Gen, Tricksters, stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-25
Updated: 2010-06-25
Packaged: 2017-10-10 06:38:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/96715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deskclutter/pseuds/deskclutter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is how Tiger came to have all the stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prince of Stories

**Title:** Prince of Stories  
**Day/Theme:** April 1st / we would all be fools to pray for justice  
**Series:** Sandman  
**Character/Pairing:** Kai'ckul, Tiger, Anansi  
**Rating:** G

  
This is a story of Anansi, which may be true or not.

The world was young in the long ago, when most things were made of singing and Tiger won the stories.

In those days, a man with a bird on his shoulder came, and his name was Kai'ckul. "I bring a challenge," said Kai'ckul. In his eye was the gleam of truths and the gleam of a prize, anyone with brains to see could see he was that sort of Man.

But Tiger is not so gifted, and he stepped out, puffy-chested with pride. Tiger said, "Why should I?"

Kai'ckul's eye grew chilly, like the cold heart of caves. Kai'ckul said, "He who wins will have all the stories."

"That is fitting," Tiger said. "I shall take part."

Now everyone wanted to have the stories, so they all took part, from lithe Dog to crawling Snake. They lined up in a row like a mountain range, up and down in size and line.

Kai'ckul pulled a blue stone from his clothing, held it up to the sky so it sparkled like fire. "This is Wisdom, which is wider than the sky," said Kai'ckul. Kai'ckul gave the stone to the bird on his shoulder. The bird bowed his head and flapped away, quick as a shining blue wink. "The one who retrieves the gem first shall have all the stories."

Tiger, that great bully, leapt up with a roar and chased after the black bird. That old cat ran right on ahead, and everyone else was too stunned to move.

"Should he have waited?" said Giraffe.

Kai'ckul only said, "He who catches the gem first shall obtain all the stories."

Well, that stung everyone into running! Buffalo stampeded and Dog howled as his paws pounded against the earth. Weasel slithered like a bolt of lightning across the ground and Bat beat her wings against the air as hard as she could.

But they were no match for swift Tiger -- Tiger the proud, Tiger the brash, Tiger the unmannered. He dashed after Kai'ckul's bird with a speed to rival light itself, his teeth showing wide like tree trunks jammed into his jaw. His tail lashed and lashed like stinging rain.

Kai'ckul's bird looked behind himself and said, "That one will murder me, if he should catch me." So Kai'ckul's bird found the river and dropped Wisdom across the riverbank. But Tiger was a strong swimmer. He did not care that the river's current was strong. He did not care that the river's banks were sodden and mud. Tiger jumped into the river and reached the other bank long before anyone else could, and so Tiger got to have all the stories.

"I have all the stories," said Tiger, who was never one for being modest.

"They are yours," said Kai'ckul.

But Tiger did not like this answer. "I am now King. King of all the stories," Tiger growled. "You should call me King."

The bird on the shoulder of Kai'ckul gave Tiger an affronted glare. But Kai'ckul only shook his head and let the cold in his eye grow colder. "Very well," said Kai'ckul. "For you have won the right to all the stories. You may have the title, Lord Tiger." Kai'ckul left then, and not even bold Tiger had the audacity to stop him.

  
Kai'ckul had gone a little ways when a voice said, "Kai'ckul, King of Dreams."

Kai'ckul turned, but he saw no one.

"Here," said the voice.

He looked at the ground, but there was no one.

"Here," said the voice, brimming with mischief.

"In the trees, Lord Morpheus," said Kai'ckul's raven.

Spider sat there, swinging on his spangled web. "Salutations," grinned Spider.

"What is your text?" said Kai'ckul.

"I want the stories," said Spider, swinging, swinging. "How can I get them?"

"Tiger has won them," said Kai'ckul.

"Not fairly," said Spider. "Not wisely. Tiger is a bully and a brute, and he will share the stories with no one. That is not one who should have all the stories."

"The deed is done," said Kai'ckul. "Wisdom finds itself with the clever and the cunning, and Tiger has obtained it on his own. Only the one who retrieves Wisdom, which is wider than the sky, shall have all the stories. You must take it up with Tiger, if you will have all the stories." With that, Kai'ckul twinkled into nothing.

Spider thought on this, tapping at his head with his foreleg. He thought for a night and a day. Moonlight poured on his head and sunlight splashed on his brow, until Spider looked up at the sky. He leapt up at once with a shout and then fell down, insensible.

Spider's wife found him like that, and she grumbled at him as she put river water on his face. "Such a silly spider you are!"

Spider awoke and said in reply, "But I am not so silly as Tiger." Spider laughed a laugh to himself.

  
Next time Spider saw Kai'ckul, he hailed Kai'ckul with a cheery shout and held tight to the brim of his hat so it didn't fly off with the wind. Spider had a new wink in his eye too, a cheeky blue wink.

"I have something that belongs to you, Kai'ckul," said Spider. "King of Stories, that's too much of a mouthful for Spider. It's not mine."

But Kai'ckul shook his head. "The stories are not mine," he said. "I merely oversee them. Such a title is not for me. I am the Prince of Stories, and there may only ever be but one of me. Do with it as you wish, and may you keep your governance well, Kweku Anansi."

Now, there's only one Prince of Stories, but there are many kings, for Anansi shares his stories with everyone. Anyone can make a story, and anyone can have all the stories, even creatures that are small as spiders.


End file.
